1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to gaming and casinos, and more specifically to a cashless enabled gaming table device using ticket-in and ticket-out and RFID technology.
2. Background
The gaming machine manufacturing industry provides a variety of gaming machines and gaming tables for the amusement of patrons at a gaming establishment. An exemplary gaming machine is a slot machine, an electro-mechanical game wherein chance or the skill of a player determines the outcome of the game. An exemplary gaming table is a poker table. Slot machines and gaming tables usually are found in casinos or other more informal gaming establishments.
Cashless enabled gaming, now part of the gaming market, has found wide acceptance in the gaming industry. Cashless enabled games used in cashless enabled gaming are so named because they can conduct financial exchanges using a mixture of traditional currencies and vouchers. Typically, a cashless enabled game has a gaming printer to produce vouchers and a voucher reader that supports automatic reading of vouchers. To coordinate the activities of multiple cashless enabled games, one or more cashless enabled games may be electronically connected to a cashless enabled game system that controls the cashless operations of a cashless enabled game.
When a player cashes out using a cashless enabled game such as a slot machine operably connected to a cashless enabled game system, the cashless enabled game signals the system and the system may determine the type of pay out presented to the player. Depending on the size of the pay out, the cashless enabled game system may cause the cashless enabled game to present coins in the traditional method of a slot machine, or the cashless enabled game system may cause a gaming printer in the cashless enabled game to produce a voucher for the value of the pay out. The voucher may then be redeemed in a variety of ways. For example, the voucher may be redeemed for cash at a cashier's cage or used with another cashless enabled game. In order to use the voucher in a cashless enabled game, the voucher is inserted into a voucher reader of another cashless enabled game at a participating casino and the cashless enabled game system recognizes the voucher, redeems the voucher, and places an appropriate amount of playing credits on the cashless enabled game.
Cashless enabled games have found an increasing acceptance and use in the gaming industry, both with players who enjoy the speed of play and ease of transporting their winnings around the casino and casinos who have realized significant labor savings in the form of reduced coin hopper reloads in the games, and an increase in revenue because of the speed of play.
More recently, casino chips containing RFID technology have been introduced. These chips provide for an automated mechanism by which to track patron winnings and dealer tips, among others.
Definitions
For the purposes of this document the following definitions apply:
“Gaming Establishment”—A casino in the traditional sense, or other place where gambling takes place.
“Game”, “Gaming Machine”, or “Game Machine”—A game table or gaming machine such as any electro-mechanical game of chance A Slot Machine is a sub-set of such games.
“Printer”—A printing device operably connected to a Game, a vending machine or kiosk, or a point-of-sale (POS) system.
“Gaming Voucher”—Media containing sufficient information to identify at a minimum, an amount of money and a validation number use to authenticate the transaction. A gaming voucher may consist of thermal paper, thermal rewritable media or smart cards such as commonly used debit and/or credit cards for financial transactions. Information storage on the media may include magnetic encoding.
“Promotional Coupon”—Media containing sufficient information to identify at a minimum, a promotional offer made to a patron. A promotional coupon may consist of thermal paper, thermal rewritable media or smart cards such as commonly used debit and/or credit cards for financial transactions. Information storage on the media may include magnetic encoding.
“Host System”—A computer, back-end system, gaming machine, or gaming table that sends and/or receives information to and/or from the gaming table device or any component thereof.
“RF ID Chip”—A type of token used at gaming tables in lieu of cash which contain a Radio Frequency circuit that can hold information and does not require a direct electrical connection as an interface connection.
“TITO”—Acronym for Ticket In, Ticket Out, a form of cashless enabled gaming
“SMIB”—Acronym for Slot Machine Interface Board, the board used to manage transactions of a slot machine, such as money in, money out, bills and tickets inserted, jackpots paid, etc.
“PTS”—Acronym for Player Tracking System. The system installed at a gaming establishment that is used to monitor game play activity by participating patrons. A PTS is a rudimentary part of the existing casino industry architecture.
“Cash-Out Vouchering System”—The system installed at a gaming establishment that is used to create cash-out voucher records and issue data packets which are used by a printer in a game to print a cash-out voucher. A Cash-Out Vouchering System is a rudimentary part of an existing casino industry architecture for casinos supporting cashless gaming.